Two lioness sisters arrived at the Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian after being rescued from Eastern Ukraine.
Luna and Plusza, both aged four, had travelled together through Kyiv, Poland, and Belgium, before reaching Edinburgh on Wednesday 20 November.
The Five Sisters Zoo has a history of helping animals in need, having rescued an Asiastic black bear, Yampil, from Ukraine in January 2024.
The lionesses were first evacuated from Ukraine in 2022. Most recently housed at Natuurhulpcentrum animal shelter in Belgium, the Five Sisters Zoo has now given them a permanent home. Gary Curran, the head of carnivores at the Zoo, said that this underscores their commitment to “giving lions a second chance at life”.
Curran added the zoo built a specially designed habitat to provide comfort after their “challenging journey across multiple countries”.
The zoo has hosted lions before, when four lions were rescued from a travelling circus in 2015. Of this original pride, only one lion called Skinny is still alive, but the zoo remains committed to helping animals in need – particularly since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022.
Several zoos in Ukraine have been badly affected by the ongoing war. With hundreds of species at risk after heavy bombing and issues with supplies, many animals have been relocated to other countries.
Lions, tigers, and African wild dogs have found new homes in Poland. Natuurhulpcentrum animal shelter, which previously looked after the lioness sisters, has also cared for other animals rescued from the Ukraine war.
The zoo has said both Luna and Plusza are settling in and making good progress so far.
“Two lioness looking at the camera” by Tambako the Jaguar is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.